NEW BRIGHTON TRAM COMPANY’S HORSES.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XV, Issue XX, 16 November 1895, Page 602

NEW BRIGHTON TRAM COMPANY’S HORSES.

FOUR HORSE TEAM. PAIR LEADERS. THE pair of horses harnessed as leaders shown in our illustrations are the property of the New Brighton Tram Company. They are bred from good roomy draught mares with very little hair on their legs by big-framed thoroughbred horses. Mr J. Thompson, the manager of the New Brighton Tram Company, who has had large experience in the breeding of horses, and who takes a particular interest in the breeding of tram-horses, says that by breeding in this direction—that is, by using large-framed thoroughbreds on roomy, clean-legged draught mares, breeders will not only get good tram-horses, but useful horses for spring waggons, or for harrowing and other light farm work, such horses being able to do, much more work in the same time than the slower heavy draughts. Mr Thompson says it will always pay to breed such horses, as they sell readily at three to four years old at £l5 to /'l6, and more for specially good animals. Mr Thompson advocates having the thoroughbred on the sire side, as there is not as much chance of them throwing back in their progeny. He says that he does not hold that you cannot get good horses breeding the reverse way, but there is more risk of getting weeds. The horse required should be about 16 hands, with good clean legs and plenty of action. Of the two horses shown in the illustration, one is by Boomerang and the other by Tekoa, both well-bred stallions. To show the value of the horses illustrated as tram leaders, it may be said that / 50 has been offered for the pair and refused. Mr Thompson, speaking of the dark-coloured fourhorse team which is illustrated, points to the near side leader as an example of using a clean legged draught stallion to a draught mare. It will be seen that it is of heavier build and has more hair on its legs. The other three horses in the team are by thoroughbred horses out of draught mares.